Red Father

A thief. A stolen name. A future bought with a lie.

Johannes Feld survives one day at a time in the mud-choked gutters of Harthwick. He steals bread when he must, sleeps where he can, and knows better than to dream of anything more.

Then a courier collision changes everything.

When Johannes steals a Red House acceptance letter meant for another boy, he discovers an impossible opportunity: a place within the most powerful institution in Geistfall. Armed with a stolen identity, twenty blood coins, and a future that was never meant to be his, Johannes sets out for the Red House before anyone can take it back.

But the House records everything.

In a world where blood is measured, debts become law, and even names carry weight, a lie is never truly buried. As Johannes struggles to maintain the life he stole, he discovers that the Red House is not what the stories claim-and that the mysterious Red Father sees far more than he should.

To keep his place, Johannes must decide who he wants to be: the thief who stole a future, or the man willing to earn one.

Red Father is a dark fantasy novella and the first entry into the world of Geistfall, featuring gothic atmosphere, mysterious blood magic, rigid faith, and a coming-of-age story about identity, truth, and the cost of belonging.